Inside Slant

Scout.com

03/14/2005

The sharks are circling outside Redskin Park, where the loss of Antonio Pierce, Fred Smoot and Laveranues Coles in the first week of free agency had fans and media commentators going wild. The tension was palpable at the team's headquarters. At one point, coach Joe Gibbs even called a news conference to sooth the masses.

"Fred and Antonio were important players to us,"
Gibbs said. "We wanted to keep them. ... We made a commitment and part
of our commitment as I stood up in front of the players and everybody else
is that we (would) do our absolute best to keep our players together."

The prices on those two simply didn't make sense in the club's
new cost structure, Gibbs explained. "If it comes to a point where we feel like as an
organization that you are going to pay somebody substantially more than
somebody else is paying a similar type position on the team, obviously that
would affect the team," he said.

In Pierce's case, Washington didn't want to bid higher than
Marcus Washington's six-year, $22.5 million deal (Pierce got six years, $26
million from the Giants). As for Smoot, his pact could go no higher than the
six-year, $31.3 million one that Shawn Springs got (Minnesota lured Smoot
north with a six-year, $34 million offer).

Beneath such reasoning also is the internal thinking that
assistant head coach for defense Gregg Williams can find or develop a pair
of players to take over for Pierce and Smoot, and that the real money in
Washington needs to be spent on offense.

The fact that the Redskins finally might be getting some fiscal
discipline, though, doesn't settle the natives. People outside the
organization are wondering whether Gibbs needs a true general manager, and
even inside the club there are surprising pockets of doubt where Gibbs once
went unquestioned.

Each of the three moves could be defended on a case-by-case
basis (money, money and a two-year toe injury that sapped Coles' big-play
ability). But put together, they've created the first real crack in Gibbs'
previously impervious CEO armor.

NOTES, QUOTES

One big question in the wake of WR Laveranues Coles'
departure is whether Gibbs set himself up for problems the next time a
player gets cranky about his role. After all, if Washington was so quick
to trade Coles, hasn't it established a precedent of rewarding bad
behavior? "I have a confidence that that's not going to happen
very often," Gibbs said. "Our locker room, our guys--I have a
very good feel for that. It's a great group of guys. ... That may be
something you can't work your way through it. But that's part of life.
... But to be quite truthful, I have a confidence that's not going to
happen here."

Gibbs took the high road when asked about Coles' comments
in the wake of the deal. Coles had said Redskins owner Dan Snyder, when
the trade was held up by Coles' contract demand, threatened to buy Coles
a TV to watch all the games because he wouldn't be playing in
Washington. "I am aware (of Coles' accusations)," Gibbs said.
"The most important thing for me is not to address anything from
that situation other than, we wish him the best."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I had to laugh the whole time we were
trying to coordinate this. Clinton would call me--sometimes from Las Vegas,
from Miami, from the Bahamas. I said, 'How come I'm doing all the hard work
and you're running all over the world?' But in any case Santana's got some
buddies here." -- Coach Joe Gibbs on RB Clinton Portis' efforts to prod
along the trade for WR Santana Moss.

NEEDS/DRAFT PRIORITIES

Cornerback: The Redskins might use the ninth overall pick on
a cover corner now that Fred Smoot is gone and Walt Harris is slated to
start opposite Shawn Springs. The depth chart is very uncertain after
Harris.

Defensive End: The club survived without a true pass-rusher
in 2004 and is content to go without one again. But RDE Phillip Daniels
spent much of last year injred and it would be a good idea to plan for the
future.